CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Roland Fanning was hired as the head coach of Austin Peay baseball in 2023, and since then, the Governors have had an unprecedented level of success.
Fanning’s first season had its up and downs, as it typical for a new head coach, but it was still a huge improvement over the 2022 season. Then, in Fanning’s second campaign, in 2024, the team really took a step forward. That 2024 squad ended up winning 35 games and securing the ASUN regular season title.
Building off of that momentum, the Govs went even further in 2025, winning a whopping 45 games and repeating as regular season champions. With the Govs coming off of back-to-back regular season titles, expectations were understandably high for the 2026 season. Unfortunately, the Govs took a step backwards, ending with a 24-31 record and bowing out in the first round of the conference tournament.
What went wrong in 2026
The 2026 season didn’t produce the results anybody wanted, and Fanning acknowledged that in his recent sit-down with Clarksville Now.
“I don’t like excuses. We just weren’t good enough,” said the coach. “I wasn’t good enough and I need to be better going forward.”
Fanning may not like excuses, but there was a major reason for the Govs’ struggles: injuries. Austin Peay players missed a combined 157 games due to injuries in 2026. That’s a massive number, and it would be hard for any team to withstand that.
The pitching staff was especially hard-hit by the injury bug. Starters Kaleb Applebey and Kade Shatwell were limited to six and five appearances, respectively. Going the majority of the season without two of your starting pitchers is a brutal blow, and this was tough for the Govs to manage. The bullpen wasn’t immune from injuries either, as Jett Hope, who was a key late-inning option, was limited to seven appearances.
“It was a year of adversity for sure,” said Fanning. “We didn’t play complimentary baseball for much of the season.”
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The frustrating part is that this season could have looked much different. Most of the Govs’ games were close, as they had 27 games that were decided by three runs or fewer. In those 27 close games, the Govs went just 10-17. A couple more runs go the other way, and we’re having a different conversation.
“People expect us to win, and I’m sorry,” said Fanning.
Looking forward
Despite the disappointing campaign, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic for 2027. Fanning mentioned the amount of talent that’s returning and also pointed out that, despite the end result in 2026, the Govs have still had some nice accomplishments.
“We’ve now made four straight conference tournaments,” said Fanning. “We had some guys have career years. Houston Hebert had a nice freshman season, Paris Pridgen, Ty Wisdom, and others, they all had great years.”
Fanning also praised his team and coaching staff for sticking together through the adversity.
“Our players stayed together, our staff stayed together. Our staff really deserves a ton of credit,” the coach said.
Even with the 2026 season included, the Govs still have more overall wins than any other ASUN program over the last three years. Over that time, Fanning’s squads have compiled a 104-66 record, have two regular season conference titles, and have sent nine players to the MLB.
“We’re bringing in the number one JUCO class in the country this offseason,” Fanning said. “We feel really good about where we are as a program.”
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